Luminary Outlaw
by Magdylena Black
Summary: The gang's all graduated and made something of themselves, when the vacation of Will doses him with a blast from the past that will effect someone other than himself...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - Don't own it.

Screams came from the bus as it teetered over the cliff. Jesse felt her power humming through her as she saw the tendrils of her whispers emerge around her, immediately delving into the ground beneath her. Vines burst up through the dry ground, answering her call. She began wrapping them around the bus when it was suddenly lifted off the cliff in its entirety, only to be set down completely on the ground well away from the edge. Jesse powered down, the vines all but melting back into the ground, and made her way over to the perpetrator of the lifting. Once again, she saw The Captain floating in midair, waving to the cheering bus-riders. As he made his way over to where she was, Jesse scowled.

"What do you think you're doing, Captain?" Jesse said. "This is my territory."

"I know, I know," he said sheepishly. "I just saw the trouble and thought I'd offer a helping hand.

"I had it under control," Jesse said. She adjusted the brown mask she wore over her eyes and deepened her scowl as the two set off towards the flashing cameras.

"Captain, Captain!" one of the reporters shouted, causing the whole group to begin thrusting mikes in his face. "This is the third time you've been in Centropolis this week. Are you planning on making it a habit?"

"I'm only here on vacation," he said, smile plastered on his lips and hands on his hips. "I heard a cry for help and, couldn't stay away."

"Outlaw," said another reporter, causing the mikes to turn towards Jesse, "how do you feel about this breach of territory?"

Jesse made certain to keep the scowl on her carefully painted lips, though she turned her face so as to make her wide-brimmed hat cast a shadow over her face. "You all know I'm never one to turn down a helping hand, especially when it comes to the safety of the citizens of our beautiful city. Why, just a few weeks ago The Commander and Jetstream stopped by to help me land Tidal behind bars," she growled.

The reporters were still taking down notes as Jesse and The Captain walked away. They made their way into the front of a non-descript van before dropping the façade altogether.

"Seriously, Stronghold," Jesse said from the passenger seat, pulling off her hat and neckerchief. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Just what I said," he replied from the driver's seat. "I've been here on vacation." He pulled the van out of the deserted parking lot and lifted off and they made their way back to the city. Luckily, the simple cloaking device kept out prying eyes.

"So, if you're here, I can assume the others are watching over Maxville?" Jesse asked, pulling off the facemask. Will nodded.

"Warren, Layla and Ethan forced me into this vacation," he said, frowning. Jesse wiped the sweat from her brow as they made their way to the building she owned. They opened the hatch in the roof and used the vertical thrusters to make the landing. "They said I needed a break from the stress."

"So you decided to come here and encroach on my territory behind their backs?" Jesse said as they hopped out of the van. She pulled the band from her jet-black hair, allowing it to cascade down her back.

"Maybe," Will said sheepishly. He stepped behind a screen and quick-changed back into his normal clothes. Jesse laughed at his word.

"Like they're not going to find out eventually," Jesse said. Her laughter stopped. "How are they, anyway?"

"You mean since you left?" Will asked as Jesse quick-changed out of the brown leather poncho and chaps and simple white shirt that made up her costume. She gave him a serious look as she stepped out from behind the screen wearing jeans and a tank top. "You were missed at the wedding, you know."

"Brent and I were on a distress call," she said in her defense. "Ethan and Magenta didn't mind, did they?"

"Nah," Will said as they made their way to her apartment on the ground floor. "How is old Kinetico these days?"

"He was the reason for the distress call. Now he's serving time down at Centropolis Penitentiary," Jesse said with a nonchalance that defied the not so old hurt in her.

"What?!" Will exclaimed in astonishment. "But he was your partner!"

"Believe me, I know," Jesse said. By this time, they were in the living room of her apartment. Jesse collapsed on the couch as Will made himself comfortable on the recliner.

"So what happened?" Will asked.

"The usual," Jesse said. "Decided Hero work didn't pay enough and held the city ransom. I had to take him out." Jesse shuddered.

"I'm so sorry," Well said, leaning forward in his seat. "You could've called us. We would've helped."

"I managed on my own," Jesse said defensively. "Besides, I wasn't going to interrupt Magenta's wedding unless I really needed your help."

"Have they assigned you a new partner yet?" Will asked. Jesse let out a bark of laughter, totally catching Will off guard.

"After all that I've done for the people of this city in the two years that I've been here, they had the nerve to tell me that they wanted a new team in here, which meant I had to leave." Will's eyebrows raised in shock.

"But that was three months ago!" he said. "You're still here, so what happened?"

"Oh," Jesse said, "my usual stubbornness. I refused to leave, so they just have us working together when the situation demands it."

"Who've they got stationed here?" Will asked.

"Frost Witch and Rock Beast," Jesse said. "They actually work quite well together, when there's something I don't have time to do."

"You know," he said, "you could come back to Maxville."

Before Jesse could retort, the phone rang. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed the portable phone off its base. She came back into the living room holding it to her shoulder. "It's for you," she said, extending it to him. He got out of his seat and took it from her.

"Hello?" he said, wondering who would think to ask for him here.

"What were you thinking?!" came Layla's shriek from the other end of the line. "You're supposed to be on vacation, not saving busses from cliffs! You know you could really get caught on those territorial statutes!"

"Calm down, Layla," he said. "I'm fine, and nothing's gonna happen about the statutes. The resident hero isn't one of those that really worries about those kind of rules." He could hear Layla's exasperated sigh.

"So not the point, Will," she said. She knew she would get nowhere, so she changed the subject. "Have you talked her into coming back yet?"

"What?" Will asked. "Oh, no, not yet. Why?"

"Well," Layla said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "we do need a new team member."

"I'll see what I can do," he said before hanging up the phone. He handed it back to Jesse.

"What was that all about?" Jesse asked, returning to her spot on the couch. A long furred tabby cat came out of nowhere and curled itself up on her lap. She absentmindedly scratched it behind the ears.

"Layla wants you back in Maxville," Will said. "Permanently. She says we need a new team member while she's out of commission."

"She's out of commission?" Jesse said, sitting up straighter. "What happened and why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"

"You've been a little incommunicado lately," Will said, looking pointedly at her as he returned to his seat. "Where've you been, anyway?" Jesse shook her head.

"Had a small family of villains that I had to infiltrate," she said.

"But that's impossible, unless you're already part of the family!" Will exclaimed.

"Yes, well, that's neither here nor there," Jesse said, bringing her legs up onto the couch next to her. A look of shock came over Will's face as the truth dawned on him.

"Your parents broke out again, right here under your nose?" he asked, his shock seeping into his voice.

"I handled it before it got too out of hand," Jesse said, her face a mask. "They're back in the Penitentiary."

"So how are you feeling about all of this?" Will asked. Jesse sighed, but was interrupted as a small girl with hair almost too bright for words came running into the room. Jesse felt as if her world was shattering around her as she stood up.

"Mommy mommy mommy!" the child said, hugging Jesse's knee. The girl saw Will and froze. "Who's that?" she said, pointing at him

"That's an old friend of Mommy's," Jesse said as Will's face remained covered in shock. Jesse's employee came in looking for the girl.

"Evangeline, you rascal," the elderly woman said as she walked into the room. "You know better than to run from me."

"Here you go, Anita," Jesse said, picking the child up and handing her to Anita.

"Bye-bye, Mommy," Evangeline said as the white-haired woman carried her out. "Bye-bye, Mr. Man." Evangeline waved to Will as the two left the room. He turned to Jesse once more.

"Is she… who I think she is?" Will asked. Jesse tried to inconspicuously study his shoes. "Jesse! Is she Zack's?"

"Evie is mine," she said, her eyes blazing as she looked up at him. "nobody is going to take her away from me." A look came over Will's face as something dawned on him.

"She's why you left, isn't she?" Will asked. Jesse nodded, looking down again. "Does Zack know?" She shook her head, still looking at the ground.

"What was I supposed to tell him, Will?" she said, still looking down. "We never even officially started dating, and then we got in that huge argument. I left Maxville and we haven't talked since." She looked up, but still couldn't meet Will's gaze. "When I found out I was pregnant, I had no idea what to do. For the obvious reasons, I couldn't go to my parents for advice, and I was still mad a Zack, so I couldn't ask any of your parents for help without word getting back to him, so I hired Anita and, after Evie was born, I petitioned the Council to start working here."

Will shook his head at her. "And did you ever stop to think that we all missed you? You were like a daughter to Mom and Dad and a sister to me. And, not a month went by that Zack had decided he was an idiot and you were right." Jesse finally met his gaze and sighed.

"I'm an imbecile," she said, the corners of her mouth turning up.

"Can I take that as an 'I guess I can move back to Maxville' statement?" Will asked, smiling back. Jesse sighed again.

"You're parents still got a couple of spare rooms until I can find an apartment?" Jesse asked, her smile turning into a full blast grin. Will scooped her up into a hug and spun them around. Jesse laughed and smacked his shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes," she said as Will set her down.


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse stepped out of the van in the driveway of the two-story suburban home where she had spent the last three years of high school, and then some, and blinked the sunlight out of her eyes. She walked around to the other side of the van and opened the side door. She pulled her sleeping almost two-year-old daughter out of her car seat, grabbing the bag in front of her. She walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal Josie Stronghold.

"Jesse!" Josie said, opening the screen door and pulling the younger woman, child, bag and all, into a hug. Josie stepped back and looked her over. "This must be Evangeline," she said.

"That she is," Jesse said as both women stepped into the house. The interior, Jesse noticed, hadn't changed at all in the two and a half years she had been gone. Steve came into the living room to meet them, and he too swept Jesse into a hug upon seeing her.

"She's a beautiful child," Josie said, extending her arms to Evie. Jesse handed her over, and Steve went out to the van to get the bags. "So how have you been?"

"Not bad," Jesse said. "Centropolis wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but it was a decent enough place to raise a child."

"Will told us about your parents," Steve said, walking in with the bags. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah," Jesse said as they all sat down, Josie still holding Evie. "They're back where they belong." The doorbell rang, and five people walked into the room, three of them engulfing Jesse in a giant group hug on sight. Layla, Ethan, and Magenta stepped back, and they, including Will and Warren, sat down in various places in the room.

"I'm guessing this is little Evie?" Layla asked, taking the still sleeping child from Josie's arms. Jesse took the time to notice Layla's slightly bulging belly. Josie and Steve both left the young adults to catch up.

"Well who else would she be?" Jesse said with a smile.

"She's got your nose," Magenta said, watching her sleep in Layla's arms.

"And eyes," Jesse said proudly. All three women smiled.

"So," said Ethan, diverting the attention from the toddler, "why exactly did you not tell any of us she exists?" Jesse sighed.

"I really don't know," she said. "Zack and I broke up, and I needed to get out of town for a while. I went to Centropolis, and it was nice enough. When I found out about Evie, I was still angry at Zack for being an idiot. But that's neither here nor there. I just never got around to telling you about the pregnancy, and then I saw you less and less, and… it was just so easy to hide."

"You still could've told us," Layla said, playing with the sleeping child's long blonde hair.

"We've already decided that I've been an idiot," Jesse said. The doorbell rang, and everybody looked at everyone else. Will got up and answered the door, though everyone already knew who it had to be.

"Hey Will," sounded Zack's baritone voice. Everyone looked at Jesse. "Is everyone else here too?"

"Umm," said Will, fidgeting a little. "Now's not the best time. If you could come back a little later-"

"Did I miss a memo?" Zack said, pushing past Will. He came to the living room entrance and stopped in his tracks upon seeing who was there. "Jesse…" Jesse flinched at the sound of his voice, but stood up anyway. Zack walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Uh…" Jesse said, standing still as Zack hugged her. He let her go and took a step back. Jesse looked at the floor. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and caught his eyes as everyone else left, taking Evie with them. "I've been watching you on the news."

"I've been checking up on you, too," Jesse said, looking down again.

"I've missed you," Zack said, leaning over to look into her eyes.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," Jesse said, still not able to meet his eyes. "Something I've been hiding that I shouldn't have." Zack placed two fingers over her lips, stopping her.

"Let me say something first," he said. "I was an idiot. I should've asked you out the first time I kissed you. When you left, I was a wreck. I knew I should've agreed to us moving in together, but I was being stupid. Once I realized this, you weren't answering my calls. I even tried tracking you down, but you covered your tracks too well. Then, when you came back on the scene in Centropolis, I went there to find you. But, even then, you still wouldn't talk to me. So, I just, kind of gave up. Can you ever forgive me?"

Jesse stood stock still, as if waiting for the other foot to fall. When he said nothing else, she spoke. "I ignored you for two and a half years, and _you _ask for forgiveness?" She let out a bark of laughter, then fell silent. The silence resonated through the room as Zack, and everyone listening in the kitchen, waited for her to continue. "I should be the one on my knees, begging forgiveness. But don't be so ready to take me back. There's something I should've told you long ago. I had a baby."

Zack's face melted over into shock. He was silent for a moment as it shifted over to indifference. "Do I know him?"

"I would hope so," Jesse said, looking straight into his eyes. "Unless much has changed since I've been gone, I'm pretty sure you know him better than anyone else."

"What do you mean?" Zack asked.

"It's you, Zack," Jesse said impatiently. "She's yours."

"She?" Zack said, astounded, as he sank into a seat. "Mine?"

"I know," Jesse said, talking fast as the news sunk in. She sat on the sofa next to him. "I should have told you when I found out. I had no right to keep her hidden. I was just still so mad at you. But that's no excuse, I know. There is no excuse for what I did. I should've--"

"But you still came back," Zack said, looking at her. "You didn't have to, but you did."

"But, I kept your only child a secret for two and a half years," Jesse said, shocked that he was forgiving her so easily. Zack pulled her into a hug. She was so shocked, she almost forgot to hug him back. Almost. He held her, once again, at arm's length.

"And don't think I'm forgiving you that easily," he said, though his face said differently. "You definitely owe me."

"What's my sentence, Judge?" she asked, laughter visible on her face.

"Well," he said, placing a finger on his chin, as if he were thinking, "for two and a half years of not answering my phone calls or communicating to me in any way, dinner tonight."

"Should I bring Evie?" Jesse asked.

"Not tonight," Zack said, a glint in his eyes.

"But who's going to watch her?" Jesse asked, already looking forward to tonight.

"Considering she's your kid, I'm sure there won't be any shortage of volunteers," Zack said. At that, Layla burst back into the room.

"I'll watch her!" she said excitedly. Jesse and Zack looked at each other and burst into laughter.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's a nice restaurant," Jesse said as Zack pushed her chair in. He walked around the small table and sat in his chair.

"Have I mentioned that you look radiant tonight?" Zack said as he picked up his menu.

"At the door, at the car, in the car, and now," she said. A laugh escaped her smiling face. "Besides, you're the one who's practically glowing." They both laughed loudly at that, earning glares from those around them in the high-class restaurant. The waiter came around and Jesse reached for the menu, but Zack held it out of reach.

"The lady will have the 8 ounce sirloin, rare, with no garland on the plate," he said matter-of-factly. Jesse smiled at him.

"And how would the lady like her potato?" the waiter asked.

"No potato, please," Jesse said politely. The waiter gave her a strange look and turned to Zack.

"And for you, sir?" he asked, in quite possibly the best-masked sneer either of them had ever heard.

"I'd ask you kindly to not sneer at her eating habits," Zack said. "And I'd like the same as her." Zack handed the waiter the menu, and the waiter walked off. "I know somebody who isn't getting a tip." Both laughed again, though not as loudly as before.

"So what have you been up to? I mean since I left?" Jesse asked, taking a sip of her wine.

"Not much, really," he said. "Lately, I've been working on waterproofing the ear pieces."

"Weren't you working on that before I left?" Jesse asked. Zack nodded, taking a sip of his wine.

"Yeah, but not with much success," he admitted. "My inspiration left me." There was a long silence. "So. Why 'Outlaw?' Of all the names you could've chose when you left The Defenders, why that?"

"Mainly," Jesse said, "my name. I mean, what were my parents thinking naming me 'Jesse James,' after the notorious outlaw."

"So what did the people of Centropolis think of you, when you first showed up?" Zack asked. Jesse laughed.

"It's actually a rather funny story," she said. "Well, I'd had Evie a few weeks previously, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to get back into the business, if you know what I mean. I had just hired Anita. It was Halloween, so I took Evie trick-or-treating, more for my benefit than hers, when I stumbled upon Raidne, who was using her vocal mind control to kidnap small children."

"Was she tempted to pedophile ways?" Zack asked with a smile on his face.

"Ha ha," Jesse said. "She was after the mayor's two young ones. I'm pretty sure it was a plot for kidnap and ransom, and everyone else in the area had close range powers. So, I just had to get myself involved. And when the media found me, well, I was already in costume, so that part was easy."

"That probably helped with the choosing of the name too, didn't it?" Zack laughed out.

"Again, ha ha. They actually accepted me pretty easily after that. The Council had a bit of a fit about me being in Brent's region, but I petitioned to stay there and, well, they knew that we Jameses were stubborn as mules, so they decided to let me stay."

Just as Jesse finished, their food came. Jesse placed her napkin on her lap and began cutting up her steak. Zack did the same to his. They were silent for a moment, enjoying each other's company and the food. After a few minutes of this, the conversation started up again.

"So tell me about our daughter," Zack said, taking a sip of his wine.

"She's a lot like both of us," Jesse said, pausing to take a bite. "in both looks and personality, but she's already smarter than either of us. You know she's already speaking in full sentences? She's got your hair and my eyes, and she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"With you as her mother, I had no doubt that she was beautiful," Zack said, taking her hand in his over the table. Jesse looked at him and smiled. The band that had been playing changed their song, and she gasped. Zack smiled.

"This was the first song we danced to," Jesse said. Zack smiled and stood, still holding her hand. They made their way to the dance floor in the middle of the restaurant, and started dancing as the violin music turned into guitar and drums.

_I hate feeling like this,_

_I'm so tired, of trying to fight this,_

_I'm asleep and all I dream of,_

_Is waking to you._

_Tell me, that you will listen,_

_Your touch is what I'm missing,_

_And the more you hide I realize,_

_I'm slowly losing you._

_Comatose,_

_I'll never wake up without an overdose,_

_Of you!_

Zack lowered his arms onto her hips, and she rested her head on his shoulder. As the lead singer sang "you," they looked into each other's eyes.

_I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breath,_

_Less I feel you next to me,_

_You take the pain I feel_

_Waking up to you never felt so real._

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream,_

_Cause my dreams don't comfort me,_

_The way you make me feel,_

_Waking up to you never felt so real._

Zack slowly lowered his mouth to hers, and the rest of the song was lost to them. They kept turning on the dance floor, lips locked and bodies pressed together. The song changed, and still they didn't separate. When they finally did, Jesse almost whimpered. Zack smiled and led them back to their seats. Jesse held his hand over the table and began playing footsy with him. It wasn't long before Zack was paying the check and they were on their way out to his car. He had barely closed his door when her lips were on his again.

A/N: Raidne is a Latin name, meaning siren, as in the Greek sea nymph. I promise.


End file.
